Convertible cooling-board and ambulance basket.



. J E. FAUBER. CONVERTIBLE COOLING BOARD AND AMBULANCE BASKET.

APPUCATION FILED SEPT-1% 1913- 1,1?0A39. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPfl c0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

.I. E. FAU-BER.

, C0NV ERTIBI.E COOLING BOARD AND AMBULANCE BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 19I3. I Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

SHE ETS-SHEET 2.

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CONVERTIBLE COOLING BOARD AND AMBULANCE BASKET.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- 16, 1913- 1,170,439. Patented Feb. 1, 1916. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 WwZ/EJSQLY.

0 mew Tl-IB COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHING'YION. D. c.

I. E. FAUBER.

CONVERTIBLE COOLING BOARD AND AMBULANCE BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-l5, 1913- I 1,170,439. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

4 SHEETS- -SHEET 4.

JOSEPH E. FAUBER, F LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

CONVERTIBLE oooLrnG-noAnD AND AMBULANCE-BASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed September 16, 1913. Serial No. 790,024.

. new and useful Improvement in Convertible Cooling-Boards and AmbulanceBaskets, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The object of this invention is to provide 1 a simple and compact support for the use of undertakers, embalmers and. others han dling human corpses, in hospitals, homes and ambulances, preparatory to burial.

The invention consists of a foldable structure, like a table, and so herein designated, the top of which serves also as the bottom of the basket, said table provided with folding legs which are operable by means which also serve as handles for lifting'and carrying it, the whole capable of being readily set up as a cooling board; the apparatus being furnished with attachable sides and ends, the former preferably foldable, adapted to be applied to the table to render it capable of use as a basket for moving the body,

and also furnished with a cover and sup ports therefor, to .inclose the basket as needed; the table top being made of some light, stiff and durable material, capable of being readily and thoroughly cleaned, such as induratcd fiber board, leather board, and the like, all as I will proceed now more particularly to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similar designated, Fig ure 1 is a side elevation with the right hand portion in section, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view, showing the invention arranged as a cooling board. Fig. 3 is a. side elevation with the right hand portion in vertical section, showing the invention equipped as a covered basket, the legs or supports also be ing shown extended by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 with the legs extended, the plane of section being to the left of the platform hinge, Fig. 2-. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, showing the device folded. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of the apparatus arrangedas a basket. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view showinga handle-locking device. Fig. 8 is an end view of the folded table showing a similar locking device applied to the folded table to retain it in folded condition. Fig. 9 is an inverted plan view of about a half of the table showing a modified handle-locking arrangement. Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views of two. variations of the extension hinges.

Without thereby limiting the invention to the details of material or construction, I will proceed to describe the embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings.

VVhatis herein referred to as the table, may be conveniently made up of a frame, a top thereon, supporting legs, and means to operate the legs and to carry the apparatus. The frame is made up of a pair of longitudinal side members 1, formed of light steel channel bars, and connected at their ends by end bars 2, of similar construction, the side bars and end barsbeing united in any suitable manner, or by any suitablemeans, such as angle pieces 3 riveted to both, The side bars are divided in the middle, and connected by hinges d'of such construction that the table sections thus constituted may be folded upon one another back to back, as indicated in Fig. For the purpose of folding, the hinges are fixedly connected at 5 to the side bars, and are movably connected thereto between these fixed points by means of bolts 6 working in slots 7 in the side bars, see Fig. 5, thus permitting the hinges to move so as to allow of the folding of the device and to come out straight when the device is extended as in Fig. 1. In order that the hinges may contribute to the support of the device, when it is extended, they may be made with stop or rule oints as at 8. Whatever form of hinge be used it is important that it should not project below the bottom plane of the table, that the apparatus may be freely moved into and out of a vehicle without injury to either.

The end and side bars are covered in by any suitable supporting material 9, herein referred to as the table top or basket bottom. For lightness, for sanitary reasons, and because it maybe readily cleansed, it is preferred to use indurated fiber board, leather board, or similar substance for this top or bottom, and if necessary the edges may be bound with metal, as at 10. This top orbottom may be made in any number of sections and applied to the frame in any suitable manner. If an adjustable headboard he desired, then one of the sections will be divided, as shown at the right in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, and this headboard,

designated 11, is hinged at 12 to the adjacent portion of the top or bottom, or to the side bars, while its opposite end is free to be raised or lowered as desired. To support the head-board in proper position, it may be provided with a strut 13 hinged to its back, and this strut may engage any number ofstops 1s placed upon side bars 1. To

secure the head-board at its free end, it may be provided with an eye 15 adapted to be engaged by a hook 16 on one of the end bars 2.

. The supporting legs 17 are fixedly secured to the side bars by means'o'f a rod or bolt 18, and these legs are connected below their pivot points by means of links 19 with slides 20 arranged on the inner sides of the side bars 1. These slides20 are slotted longitudinally at 21 the rods 18 passing through one of these slots and rivets or bolts 22 passing through the other slots and fixed in the side bars. These rods 18 and rivets or bolts 22 may have antifriction rollers 18 and 22 upon them where they engage the slots 21. The ends of the slides have pivoted to them the arms 23, and these arms are connected by cross-rods orrbars 2 1. These arms 23 and their connecting cross-bars 2-1 constitute handles by which the legs may be moved so as to extend them into the full line position shown in Fig. 1, or to told them up within the sides as shown in the full line position Fig; 3. These handles may have their'arins 23 straight as in Figs. 1 to 6, or these arms may be upwardly curved as in Fig. 7, so as to prevent the device from hanging on the bed olia vehicle when it is being loaded therein. In order to obtain a right-line pull on the slides by means of the handles, the endbars are slotted as indicated at 25, Fig. 6, and when so arranged, stops 26 on the arms 23 engage the ends of the slides 20. On the other hand, when the legs'are extended into supporting position, as in Fig. 1, the handles may be used as braces to take some of the load off of the legs, and for this purpose the cross-bars 21 may engage any suitable teeth or detents 27 on the legs to vary the height of the device from the floor to suit the operator.

" It will be understood that when the de vice is arranged as in Fig. 1, the handles may be extended, as in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, and used to carry'or move it from place to place. To render the table more rigid when the device is so arranged, the i'astenings 6 may be supplied with nuts 28, Fig. 5, or other clamping means of suitable construction, to bindthe hinge members tightly to the side bars. When the legs are to be folded in or extended, the handles are given the right line position with respect to the slides, as

'mentioned, and to fold in the legs the handles are pushed inwardly thereby moving the slides 20 inwardly and through their action on the links 19 moving the legs upwardly; and when the legs are to be extended, the handles are pulled outwardly and through the same instrumentalities operating reversely, the legs are swung downwardly upon their pivot rods 18. Any suitable leg construction may be adopted. Herein the legs are shown as made of metal tubes (see the broken out leg Fig. 1), connected by cross-rods or braces. The legs may or may not be provided with casters or rollers, as'desired. As thus constructed, a light, compact, foldable and readily portable cooling board or embalming table is provided, easily handled by one person when folded, and as readily handled by two per-.

sons when set up.

To extend the usefulness of the device, it is capable of being converted into a covered or uncovered basket, so-called. To this end,,the side and end bars are provided with side and end extensions 29eand 30, respectively, preferably made of material of the same sort .as that used in the part 9. Any suitable means may be used to removably attach these extensions to the table. For example, the metal bindings on the top or bottom and on these extensions may be made with hinge knuckles 31 and 32 respectively,

and these knuckles connected by pintles 33 and 34 at the sides and ends respectively. The side extensions have pins 35 projecting from their ends which enter holes 36 in the end extensions, and these end extensions have hooks 37 to engage the pins sons to lock the extensions together; but other connecting means may be used. Other separable hinging means may be used, some forms of which are presently mentioned. The side extensions are made in two sections, hinged together, as at 38, so as to be capable of folding to the length of the folded device, for convenience in transportation and storage. Preferably one of the side extensions is capable of being dropped to increase the width of the table top. For this purpose it may be disconnected from the end extensions and held up by slides 39 arranged in the side bars. Or both sides may be thus equipped, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. at.

A convenient cover d0, of waterproof or other material, may be provided. It may be of tent shape, and supported by uprights d1 arranged in sockets 12- at the ends. This cover may be provided with eyelets 43 to engage these uprights, and other similar eyelets 44 to engage the pins 35 or other mediums on the extensions or elsewhere, so as to inclose a body within the basket.

The handles may be locked to the frame by any suitable means, capable of prevent ing accidental movement of the legs or handles when carrying the. table, as in going up or down stairs. One such locking means is shown in Fig. 7, and another in Fig. 9, but

others may be used. Referring to Fig. 7, the arms 23 may be supplied with lateral lugs as to be engaged by swinging loops 46 applied to the side bars. Or, as shown in Fig. 9, the locking device may be applied to the folded-in legs and in this case 47 is a push-rod mounted in one of the end bars and connected with the underside of the bottom 9 by a clip 4:8 and terminating in a hook -19 which is adapted to engage one of the cross-bars 50 of the legs. This hook may be held in such engagement by means of a spring 51 suitably applied to the push. rod. it is to be understood, of course, that handle locking means of the described or any other appropriate construction, are to i be applied to both handles.

As shown in Figs. Sand 8, the sections of the folded table may be locked together by a fastening similar to that shown in Fig. 7. In this case, the lower flange of one end bar may be notched to afford a lug 52, see also Fig. 6,-and the loop 53 may be fixed to the other end bar and play in notches 54 in the adjacent flange to be engaged with and dis engaged from the lug 52. It will be under stood that the loops 4:5 and 53 are substantially the same as are used on trunks, satchels, suit-cases, and the like as fasteners, and that they are spring-held; but obviously, the invention is not limited to the use of any special locking device either for re taining he handles in place or holding together the sections of the table when folded.

Figs. 10 and 11 show variations in the hinging of the extensions to the table, the illustrations showing modifications applied to the side extensions, but, of course, they are applicable alike toside and end extensions. Instead of the knuckle hinges, hook and eye, gate or other hinges may be used. In Fig. 10 the hook 55 is applied to the extension, and engages a hole 56 in the upper flange of the side bar, and in Fig. 11 the pintle member 57 is secured to the extension and engages an eye 58 applied to the the body is, and the body placed thereon, and if it is to be removed from such place to an ambulance, or elsewhere, the extensions and cover may be applied so as to conceal and protect it.

While the object of the invention is as stated, it is obvious that the apparatus may be employed as a stretcher, for use in the care or treatment of the sick or injured on railroads, in hospitals, and in various places.

All of the parts are accessible for repair, sanitation, and other purposes.

The details of construction may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. A knockdown convertible cooling board and ambulance basket of the character described, having a body-supporting member, legs pivotally mounted upon said member, slides carried by said member, links connecting the slides and legs, and handles slidably mounted in said member and connected with the slides and serving as means for operating the legs to set them up or fold them and for moving the apparatus from place to place as desired.

2. The combination with the side and end bars and a bottom thereon, of legs pivotally mounted upon the inner sides of the side bars and foldable therein, slides carried by the side bars, links connecting the slides and legs, and handles slidably mounted in the end bars and connected with the slides and serving as means for operating the legs to set them up or fold them and for moving the apparatus from place to place as desired.

3. The combination with the side and end bars and a bottom, of legs pivoted to the side bars, longitudinally slotted slides applied-to the side bars, links connecting the slides and legs, and upwardly curved handles applied to the slides and engaging the end bars and serving as means to operate the legs and for moving the apparatus from place to place.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of September A. D. 1913.

JOSEPH E. FAUBER.

Witnesses:

H. D. DUIGUID, W. F. MAC-LEOD.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

